Tragedy at Nelson Landing, Nevada

 “I remember coming here fishing as a young man in the early seventies,” the now older man said. “It was a wonderful location for families to camp, boat, and just have fun.”

Laureen, my lovely wife, and I had just met this fella along the shores of the Colorado River, not far south of the Hoover Dam.

South side of Hoover Dam

In all transparency, we were actually at Lake Mohave, but it is still all part of the Colorado River. In fact, gold ore used to be shipped along the river near the town of Nelson 350 miles to the Gulf of California. With the building of Hoover Dam, Davis Dam and others, the river was tamed and man-made lakes were created, but it is still all part of the Colorado River system.

We had been out exploring places we had not yet visited when we had found ourselves along the shore of crystal clear waters.

“Then in an instant it was all gone,” he concluded, and then drove off through the sandy wash westward.

All that is left of the once popular Nelson Landing

A sobering moment as we learned we were standing on the ground where Nelson’s Landing had once stood. A river resort that had been loved and shared by countless folks for decades.

Nelson’s Landing had been located on the western edge of Lake Mohave in El Dorado Canyon, roughly five miles east of the ghost town of Nelson - which is where Laureen and I had actually been heading. But, unbeknownst to us - there was another story at the end of the pavement when we had decided to travel past the ghost town.

“Let’s see if we can get to the river on this road before touring Nelson,” Laureen had said, and being the dutiful husband and traveler agreed.

“All roads lead somewhere interesting,” I replied.

At that moment the idea of interest had been an understatement. Turned out to be a black ribbon of asphalt that had a tale of horror and tragedy at the end of it.

Nelson’s Landing had been a small beach settlement enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Mobile homes, RVs, campsites, boat docks, restaurants, and other amenities made this place a must go river spot.

Original photo of what Nelson Landing looked like before the tragedy

Looking for a choice for water activities, there is Lake Mead, north of Hoover Dam or Lake Mohave, south of Hoover Dam. Take your pick. Either would be a good choice on a hot day. It was an easy destination for people living in nearby Boulder City or even Las Vegas, a mere 50 miles away. 

One such summer day was September 14th, 1974 where people were boating, laying on the sandy beach, camping, and enjoying lunch in one of the restaurants at the landing when the unexpected reared its ugly head.

Miles away to the west a storm cloud showed up and poured a monsoonal amount of rain onto the dry desert soil in only a few minutes.

The torrent splattered the desert floor, but with the sun scorched hardened earth the ground was like a piece of tile and that rain simply did what gravity intended - flow downhill undeterred.

Narrow canyon walls allowed torrents of water to flow

Soon a forty foot wave of water channeled from five separate smaller canyons rushed through El Dorado Canyon toward the resort. In a matter of minutes the resort was completely wiped out.

Among the rubble, only memories were left by those who had survived.

Nine people died on that fateful day.

Rescue workers looking for survivors at Nelson Landing

According to a July 9, 2019 online news article from 8@NewsNow.com (Las Vegas) - local resident, Tony Werly stated: “That’s fifty-two square miles that all merged into that one canyon. As the cloud was coming down the mountain, they (the people who had been enjoying the day at Nelson Landing) were trying to get their boat docks out of the water before they got rained on. They never knew what was coming down the canyon with it.”

Werly also stated a teacher he had once had, Jack Dailey, had been one of the victims of the flooding disaster.

“Dailey was actually a school teacher of mine when I was in high school and he was one of the guys that died.”

Dailey’s friend, John Gellifent, was also interviewed.

“Jack was out boating,” Gellifent said. “He was coming back when the wall of water hit.”

Turns out the teacher and friend of Gellifent’s had been out enjoying the river and upon returning to the beach in his boat he was overtaken by the destructive path of the flood and killed just offshore.

Nelson’s Landing was never rebuilt. There are now signs warning visitors that the chance of a severe flood is a real and present danger.

We looked out across the area where one minute visitors were having the time of their lives and the next, there was no time left.

“How horrible,” Laureen said. “To be here with your family enjoying a wonderful day and then that happens.”

I did not reply. My gaze took in the blue waters of the river in front of me and I could almost hear the terrified screams of those watching from wherever they were at the moment as a tsunami barreled down on them.

And then the frantic search and rescue through the rubble that had been a popular beach resort must have been heart wrenching.

It did not take a vivid imagination to feel what those poor folks felt as they looked westward up El Dorado Canyon and saw nothing but a huge debris filled wave of water racing toward them.

I felt chills run down my spine. To be standing at a gorgeous location, as this place is, and then to realize you are standing on hallowed ground.

People had perished here. Their only fault, just enjoying a hot summer day by cool waters.

It was not something we had expected to experience as we had happily been driving north along US Route 93 toward Boulder City, Nevada when we took a short jaunt toward the ghost town of Nelson.

A few years ago, my buddy Paul and I had powered up the Colorado River from Katherine Landing aboard my pontoon boat. It was a casual camping excursion, where we took in gorgeous inlets, water canyons, hidden coves, witnessed families of Bighorn sheep, and wild donkeys. The final destination of cruising by Willow Beach, on the Arizona shore to the Hoover Dam 12 miles to the northwest.

The blue waters of Lake Mohave

The previous day, we had witnessed dozens of people laughing while they jumped from some pretty high natural cliffs alongside the Colorado River on the Nevada Shore.

All through the warm months, people flock to Nelson’s Landing to jump off the cliffs into Lake Mohave. Some spots along the steep walls are 50 feet high and caution as well as a little dose of common sense are needed here.

I wondered if those summer loving folks realized that less than half a century ago, folks had literally fought for their lives on that sunny September day, and some had fought in vain.

“I boated past this spot without realizing the tragedy which had taken place,” I said to Laureen. “When Paul and I made our way to the Hoover Dam and saw people jumping into the water. Never thought of where or how tragic this place was.”

Laureen nodded.

Though the temperature was in the high thirties when we visited in January, the sun was shining making the water sparkle and the sand crunch beneath our feet.

No sign of a past calamity was to be witnessed in this picturesque setting. Just quiet and beautiful.

According to the National Weather Service - ‘Flash floods can roll boulders, tear out trees, destroy buildings and bridges, and scour out new channels. Rapidly rising water can reach heights of 30 feet or more. Furthermore, flash flood-producing rains can also trigger catastrophic mudslides. You will not always have a warning that these deadly, sudden floods are coming. Most flood deaths are due to FLASH FLOODS.’

The strength of rushing waters can dislodge huge section of earth

The fun-loving people enjoying a hot September day in 1974 did not think twice about a dark cloud far away on the horizon - why should they? But, in a matter of a blink of an eye rain fell in huge amounts and turned that care-free event into a horrific and unforgettable catastrophe. 

The teacher, Jack Dailey, did not live to see a school named after him in Las Vegas - Dailey Elementary School. 

Though I often make light of being out in nature and possibly ignoring signs about this or that - driving out of El Dorado Canyon on that January morning reminded me that signs are there for a reason and must be taken seriously.

Don Laughlin's Car Museum

 In 1980, a man purchased a new 1,100 cc Honda Gold Wing with a desire to ride the

open roads.

The Bike!

Over the following four years he managed to put over 30,000 miles on that sturdy Honda

and when he put the kickstand down, he may have said, “That is not enough miles for me.

I want to see the world.”

The Honda’s owner, Emilio Scotto, may have been guffawed at by his friends and family,

since the man had never even left his native country of Argentina.

“You barely rolled out of Buenos Aires,” it is rumored a neighbor may have sneered.

“Now, you want to roam the world?”

Scotto shook his head. “I don’t want to roam but fly on my Gold Wing through the

heavens touching down in as many lands as I am able.”

The neighbor looked at Scotto, believing he may have had one or two Aloja de Chauchas

too many.

Scotto quit his job in 1984, and with 300 bucks in his pocket, he took off on his

motorcycle for the trip of a lifetime.

Over the next decade, the intrepid motorcycle rider covered 485,000 miles, visited 232

countries - including islands, colonies, atolls, and other not-really-recognized countries. It

is estimated that Scotto touched down, his words not mine, on nearly 99 percent of the

landmasses on earth.

Scotto holds the Guinness World Record for the longest journey conducted by an

individual on a motorcycle.

He finally arrived back home in Argentina on April 2, 1995 and promptly received a

traffic ticket, possibly from a jealous traffic cop.

When he met up with family and friends, it is rumored he said, “My rear end hurts -

really hurts from sitting down for ten years on bumpy roads.”

It should be noted that even though Scotto left Argentina in 1985 with few pesos, he did

pick up numerous sponsors for his around-the-world journey as his story was shared

campfire to campfire, which made eating and putting gas in his motorcycle a bit more

affordable.

Now, what does one man following his passion of traveling around the world have to do

with this column?

It isn’t about Emilio Scotto or his motorcycle, but about a person’s desire to see more of

the world than they had ever hoped for before.

Traveling is a way to do that - to venture out and visit strange new lands, see strange new

people, experience strange new experiences, and sometimes just to be strange.

Then again, Scotto’s motorcycle is on display with his complete adventurous story at Don

Laughlin’s Car Museum, located within the Riverside Resort Hotel and Casino, in

Laughlin, Nevada.

The Riverside Resort Hotel and Casino

I’ve written about Laughlin in the past - the small gambling and entertainment mecca

which sits on the west side of the cooling blue waters of the Colorado River. A great

place for family and for those folks who don’t have a family.

John R Beyer next to a statue of Don Laughlin

The town works for both categories.

It had been a long time since I had visited the car museum located at the Riverside. In

fact, as I get older, my perspective of that long time may have been longer.

If recollection serves me well, the last time I visited, it was called the Don Laughlin’s

Horse and Buggy Museum.

This is no horse and buggy museum

Laureen, my lovely wife, couldn’t make the trip to Laughlin so my buddy, Paul, ventured

out with me.

Men love auto museums, and I am not being sexist, but generally I see men being guided

by their girlfriends or wives through the museums on a leash. This is because the men are

wearing drool buckets attached to their ears and terrible and ugly spillage could occur if

they stop suddenly in front of a bright shiny gorgeous automobile.

“It’s just a silly old Lamborghini Veneno,” the wife or girlfriend may say, while giving a

little tug on the leash attached to the drool bucket.

“But, it was created to celebrate Lamborghini’s fiftieth anniversary back in 2013.”

A snap on the leash. “And when is our anniversary?”

“I understand the museum has a gift shop.”

Who wouldn't drool?

According to the car museum’s website, ‘The exhibit is a rotating collection of antique,

classic, and unique autos assembled from private collections from all over the world.

Included among these are several owned by Don Laughlin himself, an avid auto

enthusiast and collector. Don Laughlin’s Classic Car Collection has something for

Everyone!’

An exclamation point - must be pretty darn exciting in that car museum, and I was there

to find out if it was true or not.

The actual exhibit is divided into two different floors of the casino. The first floor, along

Casino Drive, is open to the public for free. It’s a tease to tempt car aficionados to head to

the 3rd floor on the south tower to see the majority of the vehicles on display for the

small price of five bucks.

I had to cover Paul’s ticket.

As I entered the ground floor exhibit, I was met by a staff/security gentleman sitting

behind a desk.

“Do you like working here?” I asked.

He simply waved his hand in the direction of a shiny medium blue 1963 Corvette

Stingray sitting stunningly by the large glass front window.

I started shaking a bit.

Wandering along the roped paths leading to this vehicle and the next, it was hard to

explain the pounding in my chest.

A 1949 Harley Davidson, a 1966 Triumph, a 1967 Velocette standing proudly against

one wall.

A 1969 Mini-mini Indian, a 1950 Whizzer Sportsman, a 1981 Honda ATC 110 also

standing proudly against another wall.

Desert vehicles, sports cars, and the like were there. But enough gawking, it was time to

head to the 3rd floor main event.

Stepping off the elevator we found ourselves in a world of wonder.

Thirty-thousand square feet of vehicle viewing area greeted the visitor. Some of that

space is for a small gift shop, and to my relief Paul is frugal - now, if Laureen had been

there?

Car after car was just begging for us to stop, ponder, and wonder how such a mechanical

beast could be so beautiful.

I could feel the horsepower roaring up to the white ceilings - though, in reality none of

the vehicles were running and we learned that most only have a smidgen of fuel just in

case they have to be moved a bit, or started to ensure everything was in working order.

One notable exhibit was the bright red Skylane Hot Road which was rotating on a

pedestal so everyone could see the beauty of this automobile in a full 360 degree

exposure.

There was a 1934 Ford Tow Truck, a 1977 Lincoln convertible, a 1954 Kurtis, a 1932

Buick Coupe, and it went on and on.

Row after row of vintage cars and trucks in immaculate condition. It was almost too

much for a late morning jaunt.

I looked over at Paul, who was receiving a cup of water from another staff member while

being led to a chair.

“Happens all the time,” the staff member said.

Being a friend, I stayed by Paul for a few moments until he waved his right hand. “You

go ahead. I forgot to breathe while looking at the vehicles. I just need a little rest.”

I foraged ahead into another row of vehicles. All meticulously cared for by their owners

to the point of almost worship.

Suddenly my eyes were drawn to a 1937 bright red Cord, built by the Auburn

Automobile Company out of Connersville, Indiana.

It made me stop in my tracks. Curved like an artist created it out of a piece of clay and

then threw away the mold.

In 1937 this car sold for 3,000 dollars. A lot of money for its time, that today would

easily go for 150,000 dollars or more at auction.

Amelia Earhart owned one - and I had always wanted one.

“We’d have to sell one of our daughters,” Laureen would say.

That’s when I would start looking at grades, who picked up the doggie messes the most,

and so-on.

To this day, no Cord in my driveway.

The Don Laughlin Car Museum is a wonderful way to spend a few hours and just relax

amidst some truly awesome vehicles that would stand up to any artist.

If you doubt that, look closely at a work by Salador Dali. Enough said.

For more information: https://automotivemuseumguide.com/don-laughlins-car-museum/

Good Times in Laughlin, Nevada

John R Beyer and Don Laughlin welcomes visitors

In 1964, Don Laughlin flew in a small plane over the Colorado River near the area where the Nevada, Arizona, and California borders met.

He liked what he saw.

“Hey,” Laughlin may have suggested, “let’s skim across the blue waters of the river and scare the heck out of those fishermen in their boats.”

The other passengers in the plane laughed. It was a great idea, and what fun that would be.

“We’ll buzz ‘em really good,” he said. “Maybe somebody can throw an apple at them as we fly by.”

No apples went flying out of the low flying plane that day, but a high-flying idea did get stuck in Laughlin’s mind.

Being a very successful business owner from Las Vegas, Laughlin saw great potential for a new venture along the coastline of the Colorado River.

A gambling mecca.

Laughlin gambling mecca all lit up

But let’s step back in time a bit. South Pointe was a small town located near the most southern tip of the state of Nevada developed in the 1940s. There was not much there. A motel, bar, and a whole lot of brown desert sitting astride the crystal-clear blue waters of the mighty Colorado River.

It was the location where many miners working the nearby gold and silver mines would meet up on Saturday nights for a really good time.

“Whatcha going to do with all that gold you done found?” one miner probably asked another miner. 

“Well, heck,” the miner replied. “I’m a gonna go to South Pointe and spend it all in the bar.”

“Fine idee, I’ll be joining you.”

During the 1940s, hordes of construction workers started building the Davis Dam, just north of present-day Bullhead City, and stayed in a locale called Davis Camp – which is still present and used as a campground for river lovers.

On their time off, which there was not much of, they too wandered into South Pointe for some adult entertainment.

The tiny berg prospered.

But in 1951, the dam was completed, and the construction workers left. Rumor has it that many of the miners who had frequented South Pointe also stopped going to the bar since their spouses decided saving the gold and silver nuggets was wiser than drinking the family profits.

As dedicated as I am as a researcher, I could not locate any solid evidence to back up my assumption why the miners stopped frequenting South Pointe.

The town, like a dried-up Joshua Tree, started to just languish in the desert sun.

And that is when Don Laughlin flew his famous jaunt over Lake Mohave, the reservoir which Davis Dam created, and down along the Colorado River over South Pointe.

He purchased the land, built the Riverside Resort motel and casino, and business was once again booming. Though the resort only had twelve slot machines and two live gaming tables, life was once more breathing in this southern section of Nevada.

The casino and hotel Don Laughlin built

A post office was soon needed due to the number of employees and guest arriving. At first, Laughlin wanted the town to be known as Riverside and Casino.

The postmaster shook his head. “Nope, let’s call it Laughlin. That is a good Irish name.”

And since the postmaster was also Irish, both men agreed to the new name of the town.

“That would be a fine name, me laddie,” Laughlin may have said to the postmaster.

A bit of Irish history here – I did do research on this.

The family name Laughlin was first used in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland in the thirteenth century.

So, South Pointe officially became Laughlin, Nevada in 1964.

And soon, other casinos opened. The Bobcat Club, which is where the current Golden Nugget is currently located, and the Monte Carlo soon followed in 1968.

People who loved to fish, water ski, boat, or just enjoyed sitting beside sandy beaches or hotel pools in the sun found Laughlin the place to be.

“You know,” one guest was overheard saying in 1972, “I love the fact, I can fish in the early morning, water ski in the afternoon, eat at inexpensive buffets, and then gamble into the wee hours of the night.”

Folks enjoying camping on the Arizona side of the river

Laughlin was a mecca, but there was a little problem of turning the mecca into a megapolis.

Bullhead City sat directly across the Colorado River from Laughlin and had grown due to the construction of the Davis Dam, but instead of drying up like South Pointe had, it continued to grow. The town had direct access to the water playground of Lake Mohave, the water activities of the Colorado River, dirt trails leading everywhere, including the very much alive ghost town of Oatman, and so much more. It was also on Highway 95 and near Route 66 which brought more and more visitors on a yearly basis. 

Plenty of water to enjoy all sorts of activities on

At this time there was no direct route from Bullhead City to Laughlin across the river, and Don Laughlin knew there was a lot of business he was missing out from all those residents and tourists visiting Bullhead City.

Don Laughlin was one smart cookie. He purchased a huge parking lot across the river from his Riverside Resort in Bullhead City and started free boat shuttles to his resort.

He stated, “If I offer it, they will come.”

This was ingenious. What person does not like a free boat ride? No one. Trust me, I know a lot of folks that enjoy our boat without a wallet ever being opened.

But I digress.

Business in Laughlin skyrocketed. Instead of having to drive a long distance, tourists could plop themselves on a free pontoon ride across a short distance of river and in a flash, be at the Riverside Resort.

During the 1980s, the town was so popular that other investors came a-calling, resulting in the building of the Colorado Hotel – now the Pioneer, Harrah’s Del Rio, the Tropicana Resort. And more came in later, the Aquarius Casino Resort, the Edgewater Casino Resort, and the list goes on and on.

One of the most iconic establishments was the Colorado Belle, a hotel and casino built to look like an old-fashioned Mississippi river boat. 

Colorado Belle

In all transparency, Laureen and I used to spend some time in Laughlin with our girls. Sun, fun and the water was all it took to make a weekend memorable. We stayed here and there but one place that we truly loved was the Colorado Belle. 

Wandering the decks of this make-believe paddle wheeler was just fun. We would walk here and there looking at this and that and imagine being here or there along a long river trip.

My family has vivid imaginations when it comes to traveling – real or not.

I remember us visiting Pompeii once and . . . but I digress.

Sadly, as of 2020 the Colorado Belle may be closed permanently. COVID and other financial issues are said to be the culprits, but who knows. A river boat knows the sculpture of the rivers it maneuvers and perhaps there will be a moment when some investor looks at this building and knows there is a whole lot more life to this ship than what appears now.

Of course, that could also be my hopeful imagination in the works.

In 1987, Laughlin decided a bridge should be built just slightly north of his resort crossing the Colorado River from Bullhead City.

This entrepreneur knew the traffic from Arizona to Nevada would pass his resort first, so, he put up three and half million dollars of his own money to build the Laughlin Bridge.

Both the state of Arizona and Nevada jumped at the idea.

“Use your money to build a bridge that we should build?” a Nevada official may have remarked. 

“What a marvelous idea. Can it be a toll road for whichever state the traveler is driving into.”

“No,” Laughlin may have replied.

It was built, and today nearly thirty thousand cars cross it each day.

The bridge that Don Laughlin paid for

The city of Laughlin receives over two million tourists every year. That is a lot of people looking for fun ways to spend their hard-earned money. And the town does not disappoint.

Laughlin is not just a just a bunch of gambling destinations – no, it is a family destination.

Not long ago, Laureen and I attended a Rod Stewart concert at the Laughlin Event Center. 

It rocked.

There are venues all about Laughlin, with acts for all ages – music, comedy, theatre, and the like.

This city has something for everyone – and that is not just rhetoric.

Exclusive hotels, upscale dining, RV parks, simple camping, boating, hiking, gambling, international restaurants, guided desert tours, native American sites, museums, and so much more that is awaiting any visitor.

Pedestrian bridge from Laughlin to state park with hiking trails

Laughlin’s dream of building a gambling mecca was realized, but what he actually built was a place family and friends could come and enjoy just being family and friends.

And perhaps, that is what he wanted after all.

Laughlin, Nevada

 In 1964, Don Laughlin flew in a small plane over the Colorado River near the area where the Nevada, Arizona, and California borders met.

He liked what he saw.

“Hey,” Laughlin may have suggested, “let’s skim across the blue waters of the river and scare the heck out of those fishermen in their boats.”

The other passengers in the plane laughed. It was a great idea, and what fun that would be.

“We’ll buzz ‘em really good,” he said. “Maybe somebody can throw an apple at them as we fly by.”

No apples went flying out of the low flying plane that day, but a high-flying idea did get stuck in Laughlin’s mind.

Being a very successful business owner from Las Vegas, Laughlin saw great potential for a new venture along the coastline of the Colorado River.

A gambling mecca.

But let’s step back in time a bit. South Pointe was a small town located near the most southern tip of the state of Nevada developed in the 1940s. There was not much there. A motel, bar, and a whole lot of brown desert sitting astride the crystal-clear blue waters of the mighty Colorado River.

It was the location where many miners working the nearby gold and silver mines would meet up on Saturday nights for a really good time.

“Whatcha going to do with all that gold you done found?” one miner probably asked another miner. 

“Well, heck,” the miner replied. “I’m a gonna go to South Pointe and spend it all in the bar.”

“Fine idee, I’ll be joining you.”

During the 1940s, hordes of construction workers started building the Davis Dam, just north of present-day Bullhead City, and stayed in a locale called Davis Camp – which is still present and used as a campground for river lovers.

On their time off, which there was not much of, they too wandered into South Pointe for some adult entertainment.

One of the early casinos available for fun

The tiny burg prospered.

But in 1951, the dam was completed, and the construction workers left. Rumor has it that many of the miners who had frequented South Pointe also stopped going to the bar since their spouses decided saving the gold and silver nuggets was wiser than drinking the family profits.

As dedicated as I am as a researcher, I could not locate any solid evidence to back up my assumption why the miners stopped frequenting South Pointe.

The town, like a dried-up Joshua Tree, started to just languish in the desert sun.

And that is when Don Laughlin flew his famous jaunt over Lake Mohave, the reservoir which Davis Dam created, and down along the Colorado River over South Pointe.

He purchased the land, built the Riverside Resort motel and casino, and business was once again booming. Though the resort only had twelve slot machines and two live gaming tables, life was once more breathing in this southern section of Nevada.

A post office was soon needed due to the number of employees and guest arriving. At first, Laughlin wanted the town to be known as Riverside and Casino.

The postmaster shook his head. “Nope, let’s call it Laughlin. That is a good Irish name.”

And since the postmaster was also Irish, both men agreed to the new name of the town.

“That would be a fine name, me laddie,” Laughlin may have said to the postmaster.

John R Beyer standing next to statue of Don Laughlin

A bit of Irish history here – I did do research on this.

The family name Laughlin was first used in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland in the thirteenth century.

So, South Pointe officially became Laughlin, Nevada in 1964.

And soon, other casinos opened. The Bobcat Club, which is where the current Golden Nugget is currently located, and the Monte Carlo soon followed in 1968.

People who loved to fish, water ski, boat, or just enjoyed sitting beside sandy beaches or hotel pools in the sun found Laughlin the place to be.

“You know,” one guest was overheard saying in 1972, “I love the fact, I can fish in the early morning, water ski in the afternoon, eat at inexpensive buffets, and then gamble into the wee hours of the night.”

Laughlin was a mecca, but there was a little problem of turning the mecca into a megapolis.

Bullhead City sat directly across the Colorado River from Laughlin and had grown due to the construction of the Davis Dam, but instead of drying up like South Pointe had, it continued to grow. The town had direct access to the water playground of Lake Mohave, the water activities of the Colorado River, dirt trails leading everywhere, including the very much alive ghost town of Oatman, and so much more. It was also on Highway 95 and near Route 66 which brought more and more visitors on a yearly basis. 

At this time there was no direct route from Bullhead City to Laughlin across the river, and Don Laughlin knew there was a lot of business he was missing out from all those residents and tourists visiting Bullhead City.

Don Laughlin was one smart cookie. He purchased a huge parking lot across the river from his Riverside Resort in Bullhead City and started free boat shuttles to his resort.

He stated, “If I offer it, they will come.”

This was ingenious. What person does not like a free boat ride? No one. Trust me, I know a lot of folks that enjoy our boat without a wallet ever being opened.

But I digress.

Business in Laughlin skyrocketed. Instead of having to drive a long distance, tourists could plop themselves on a free pontoon ride across a short distance of river and in a flash, be at the Riverside Resort.

During the 1980s, the town was so popular that other investors came a-calling, resulting in the building of the Colorado Hotel – now the Pioneer, Harrah’s Del Rio, the Tropicana Resort. And more came in later, the Aquarius Casino Resort, the Edgewater Casino Resort, and the list goes on and on.

One of the most iconic establishments was the Colorado Belle, a hotel and casino built to look like an old-fashioned Mississippi river boat. 

In all transparency, Laureen and I used to spend some time in Laughlin with our girls. Sun, fun and the water was all it took to make a weekend memorable. We stayed here and there but one place that we truly loved was the Colorado Belle. 

Wandering the decks of this make-believe paddle wheeler was just fun. We would walk here and there looking at this and that and imagine being here or there along a long river trip.

My family has vivid imaginations when it comes to traveling – real or not.

I remember us visiting Pompeii once and . . . but I digress.

Sadly, as of 2020 the Colorado Belle may be closed permanently. COVID and other financial issues are said to be the culprits, but who knows. A river boat knows the sculpture of the rivers it maneuvers and perhaps there will be a moment when some investor looks at this building and knows there is a whole lot more life to this ship than what appears now.

Of course, that could also be my hopeful imagination in the works.

In 1987, Laughlin decided a bridge should be built just slightly north of his resort crossing the Colorado River from Bullhead City.

This entrepreneur knew the traffic from Arizona to Nevada would pass his resort first, so, he put up three and half million dollars of his own money to build the Laughlin Bridge.

Both the state of Arizona and Nevada jumped at the idea.

“Use your money to build a bridge that we should build?” a Nevada official may have remarked. “What a marvelous idea. Can it be a toll road for whichever state the traveler is driving into.”

“No,” Laughlin may have replied.

It was built, and today nearly thirty thousand cars cross it each day.

The bridge that Don Laughlin built

The city of Laughlin receives over two million tourists every year. That is a lot of people looking for fun ways to spend their hard-earned money. And the town does not disappoint.

Laughlin is not just a just a bunch of gambling destinations – no, it is a family destination.

Laughlin all lit up for the evening

Not long ago, Laureen and I attended a Rod Stewart concert at the Laughlin Event Center. 

It rocked.

There are venues all about Laughlin, with acts for all ages – music, comedy, theatre, and the like.

This city has something for everyone – and that is not just rhetoric.

Exclusive hotels, upscale dining, RV parks, simple camping, boating, hiking, gambling, international restaurants, guided desert tours, native American sites, museums, and so much more that is awaiting any visitor.

Laughlin’s dream of building a gambling mecca was realized, but what he actually built was a place family and friends could come and enjoy just being family and friends.

And perhaps, that is what he wanted after all.

Summer is Coming

The days are getting longer and the weather is warming toward that coming summer right around the corner. Soon it will be time for jumping into the water to cool off and have some fun.

Laureen practicing for summer fun on John's jet ski - what? She has her own!

In the Southwest, where John and Laureen reside, one of wettest and coolest places to spend time away from their primary residence is the Colorado River.

The Colorado River - Laughlin on the left and Bullhead City on the right

The location of miles and miles of beaches, romantic coves, startling natural beauty, and the sort of outdoor activity which makes one forget that they had just put in 40 hours at the office the previous week.

"Hey, get a cove."

The majestic 1,450 mile long Colorado River winds its way from the central Rocky Mountains southward all the way to the Gulf of California between the states of Sonora and Baja California in Mexico.

The Colorado River meeting the Gulf of California 

Over 40 million people depend on this clear liquid elixir to sustain their life: be that for drinking, washing, traveling, agriculture, power, or simply playing.

At J and L, we truly enjoy the aspect of playing on the Colorado River and the man-made reservoirs created from the ever flowing waters.

One such reservoir, located in the Black Canyon area between Nevada and Arizona is Lake Mead, created by the building of the Hoover Dam. Originally known as Boulder Dam, the name was changed by the U.S. Congress in 1947 to honor President Herbert Hoover. This dam is approximately 37 miles southeast from Las Vegas, making it an easy day's venture for some water festivities.

Hoover Dam holds back the waters of the Colorado River creating the largest reservoir in the United States. This body of water is named for the commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Elwood Mead. Mead ran the department during the time the dam was under construction from 1931 until 1935. Construction at the time was a thing to marvel at as the dam is completely made of concrete, making it one of the largest projects of its time.

A massive undertaking for the 1930's - shoot, at any time for that matter

The finished project - gorgeous and patriotic

The man behind the mission - Dr. Elwood Mead

Lake Mead is 112 miles long and covers more than 247 square miles of surface area. That is one big lake and just south of the dam are the cities of Bullhead City, Arizona and Laughlin, Nevada. Both are magnets for visitors in their own unique ways.

Lake Mead as seen from space - good size patch of water

Each year, Bullhead City has tens of thousands of people coming to play on the waters of the Colorado River and Lake Mead. Locals and visitors alike enjoy boats, jet skis, rafts, or simply lounging in the coolness of the waters while soaking up sunshine.

That's a lot of floaters - uh, people floating on the river near Laughlin

Laughlin is a gambling mecca for those willing to take risks off the water for possible dreams of untold fortunes. For those not wishing to part with money on the draw of the cards can attend the many concert venues around the city, eat at the many restaurants, lay by resort pools, or simply stroll the river walk in front of the many hotels and casinos along the river bank.

Laughlin river walk heading south

Now, a down side with the progress of storing water and creating hydro-electric power by building Hoover Dam was the tragedy of losing some small towns along the shoreline. Communities like St. Thomas, Callville, and Rioville eventually slipped beneath the rising waters of Lake Mead forever.
Well, not forever, because every once in a while during drought years, boaters can actually see the remains of the towns just below the surface of the waters. Eerily spooky but COOL in a sick sort of way.

Speaking of ‘spooky’ – there’s also a Boeing B-29 Superfortress which crashed in the lake in 1948 during a test of a prototype missile guidance system known as the “suntracker” and sank to the bottom. And that bottom could be a long way down beneath the surface since Lake Mead goes from sandal depth to over 500 feet deep.

Actual photo of cockpit from the B-29 on bottom of Lake Mead

That is some serious depth for a reservoir in the middle of the Mohave Desert.

Being water lovers, John and Laureen enjoy both the Colorado River and Lake Mead but generally spend more time at the lake during the ‘boating’ season. With over 759 miles of shoreline, countless coves to explore, islands to picnic on, and the vast variety of both animal life and plant life the lake holds anything an adventurer could want.

Coves to explore by watercraft or beach and do it by foot

Cactus growing out of a rock - life will find a way

Being honest to goodness Jimmy Buffet fans – both Laureen and John enjoyed his single Somethin’‘Bout a Boat from the 2013 album, Songs From St. Somewhere.

Somethin' 'bout a boat
Sittin' on the sea
Out there in the wind
Floatin' on the free
Take you 'round the world

Of course, there should be a sequel, if that’s possible with music, maybe something like Somethin’‘Bout the Water.

Without water, a boat would simply be a large coaster in which to place drinks on in the sand.

Somethin' Bout the Water - any water would help these boats

Most of the time while staying in Bullhead City, Laureen and John use jet skis. Easy to transport and quick on the water.

A little donut action is always fun on the water

A wave of  'yeah, that was fun!'

Laureen revving up to speed for the boating season on her own jet ski

Our good friend, Kaye Randall, refers to jet skis and ‘motorcycles for the water.’ We can’t disagree with her since once the throttle is squeezed and the hull levels, there is no better feeling as the freedom one gets from skipping across the surface of the waves.

Kaye's first time on a jet ski - like a natural

Kaye coming in for a landing

It doesn’t matter if it’s ocean, sea, lake, or river – as long as there is water to dance across who could have a bad time? But a word of caution, never take the waters for granted.

Well, perhaps these boaters did have a bad time, but it is rare

For further information:

Jimmy Buffet - 'Somethin''Bout a Boat' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9g8LiL0ubo
Lake Mead - https://www.nps.gov/lake/planyourvisit/index.htm
Bullhead City - https://www.bullheadcity.com/
Laughlin - https://www.visitlaughlin.com/